


Take my Hand, Let's Make this Count

by glxykpop



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, stealth!baekhyun/yixing (if you squint)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23229070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glxykpop/pseuds/glxykpop
Summary: Solo artist Kim Jongdae is South Korea's vocal king and the nation's sweetheart, never had a scandal involving any of the three D's- drink, drugs, or dating. Millions stream his emotional ballads on a daily basis and his career is comfortable, familiar. So when he gets an offer to take part in the upcoming series of Dancing with the Stars, why should he refuse the opportunity to try something new?
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 31
Kudos: 93
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	Take my Hand, Let's Make this Count

**Author's Note:**

> Snow Spark Prompt Number #175
> 
> So, being a ballroom and latin dancer myself, I really couldn't resist when I saw the prompt for this. I've done my best to keep it readable for anyone that doesn't follow dancing so I hope you'll still be able to enjoy it, even if you don't know anything about the dances. Another quick warning, I'm from the UK so the format is based around our version called Strictly Come Dancing. It's very similar to the other versions but the stage layout is from that version, just to avoid any confusion.  
> I may have slightly tweaked a few little things about the prompt to make it work a little neater but in general, the vibe is still the same, I hope that's ok!  
> All in all, thank you for a wonderful prompt and I hope you enjoy!

When the pairing show rolls around, Jongdae becomes acutely aware that he can’t run away. Still, he’s glad the partnering show is pre-recorded and he doesn’t have to worry too much about what he says or does. Almost instantly after arriving, Jongdae is whisked away towards make-up. Baekhyun and Seokjin are already there, the former on his phone, the latter has his eyes closed as the girl doing his make-up is patting powder onto his face. Obviously noticing something move in the mirror, Baekhyun glances up from his phone and breaks into a smile when recognising Jongdae. 

“Ahh, hi Jongdae! How’re you feeling?” Baekhyun grins at the slightly nervous look on Jongdae’s face.

“I’ve been better to be honest. I’m used to relying on my voice not my dance skills, or lack thereof.” Jongdae confesses, keeping his voice light to show he isn’t too serious. They share a quick grin as Jongdae slides into the seat beside Baekhyun. Conversation is light and easy from there on. Jongdae finds himself effortlessly liking Baekhyun and his charm. It’s obvious why Baekhyun is such a highly rated presenter and host, with pretty rabid fans. He’s able to draw you in and from the first word, you feel like you know him on a personal level. When rumours of him dating someone had bubbled to the surface, there had been very quick denials so as not to aggravate his fans. 

There’s a lull as both of then start to get their make-up applied and their hair styled. Jongdae’s used to this part at least so lets himself be worked on. The end result is a fair bit heavier than he’s used to but the stylist assures him that under the lights, he’s going to want the extra coverage. Regardless, he’s pretty pleased with the result so quickly thanks her as he’s led away into wardrobe. Chanyeol is already there, laughing as someone crouches down to fix his trousers.

“It’s okay.” Chanyeol reassures the stylist. “Everyone underestimates how long my legs are.”

They’re having to re-hem the lower edges to make sure it covers the ankles. Jongdae knows that probably won’t happen with him. A girl who is fiddling with a very colourful rack of clothes looks up as Jongdae enters and beams at him. 

“Hi Jongdae, I’m Hani.” She extends a hand for him to shake, and Jongdae does so warmly.

“Nice to meet you.” They share a quick smile before Hani spins and starts selecting a few pieces that Jongdae becomes more worried about the more hangers Hani selects. 

“How brave are you wanting to be for the first show?” She throws the comment over her should when she’s finished deciding. 

“Pretty cowardly to be honest. My image generally leans towards the conservative side, rather than the…” Jongdae pauses, trying to find the right word. “... flamboyant.” 

Hani’s laugh is light and she immediately discards two of the shirts, one in orange, the other hot pink.

“We’ll keep it a bit more classic to start with then.” She relents and passes him a pair of slim looking black trousers and a floral patterned shirt. The shirt itself is mostly red with the flowers being white and yellow. He slips behind a screen to change. Naturally, he tucks the shirt in but as he does it, he questions whether he should have or not. He steps out before he can question himself too much and Hani tilts her head considering it. 

“The pants are a little too loose around your waist if you can tuck so easily.” She grabs another option that have a velvet seam down the outside edge. “These should be better. Shirt is good though.” 

Jongdae simply nods. He’s yet to see himself so will simply have to believe what Hani says. The swapped trousers are met with another smile and Hani helps him tuck into the trousers to look the most flattering. When she’s satisfied, she slips away and returns with some black suspenders which she quickly clips into place. There’s a few more minor adjustments she makes but it isn’t long until she’s satisfied. 

“Take a look.” Hani gestures over to the full length mirror in the corner and Jongdae shuffles over. Obvious surprise decorates his face because he can’t quite believe he actually looks as good as he does. The trousers make his legs look longer than he knows them to be and his waist looks neatly and slim. He grins back at Hani as she hands him a pair of simple black socks and shoes. Once he’s laced them up so they’re comfortable, Jongdae raises his eyebrows in question to Hani. In response, she smiles and nods. Leading Jongdae back to the hall, Hani wishes him luck before slipping back into wardrobe. Yoona is stood in the corridor as well, clearly having just left the girls wardrobe. She’s in a gorgeous, short, red sparkly dress that makes her look incredible.

“Wow, Yoona!” Jongdae exclaims. “You look amazing.” 

Yoona smiles happily in response. Having been a part of the same agency, they’ve bumped into each other a few times. 

“I could say the same for you! These guys really know what they’re doing.” She casually links her arm through Jongdae’s and they walk together towards the stage and where they need to wait for their start cue. “Are you feeling nervous? How long has it been since you’ve done any dancing?” 

“Long enough that I’ve forgotten how to do much more than tap my toes and bop my head.” Jongdae jokes happily. His first two albums had been mostly ballads but even the most recent album had only been upbeat enough for him to nod his head or lean his mic stand which thankfully hadn’t proven too strenuous. As she laughs, Yoona holds Jongdae a little tighter, a tell-tale sign that she was nervous. 

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who has forgotten everything since audition days.” A soft smile finds its way onto Jongdae’s face at hearing someone else voice their nerves. The conversation flows easily and then suddenly, they’re swept up into the rush of the show starting. 

Members of staff are taking them by the arms and leading them into their order to be announced. Jongdae nods a quick greeting to Irene and Kyungsoo who are either side of him. Music crashes into life and Jongdae feels the familiar thrum of excitement that always rushes through him whenever he’s about to perform. The voice over the tannoy announces the host- Heechul- and there’s a moment of quiet as all the cameras fall into position and the show begins. 

As each celebrity walks down the stairs into their lights, Jongdae buzzes with anticipation. When he’s called, the usual smile decorates his face and the applause comforts Jongdae. He finds his spot easily and the show progresses around him for a while. A quick cut is called for a potential VT to run and everyone is rearranged for the first set of girls to be paired. Yoona, Jennie and Irene are up first and the rest of the cast are gathered onto the balcony to watch them. Irene is up first and she is fighting to keep the nerves from showing on her face. The music builds and then suddenly, Heechul announces.

“It’s Taemin!” Is broadcast through the speakers and everyone cheers. Taemin is a crowd favourite and won the previous series. There’s a quick hug before they jog up the stairs and away to let the next person go. Jennie is paired with Jongin and Jongdae instantly understands why as they look good next to one another. Rumours had circulated about Jongin and his last partner Krystal and Jongdae presumes the same thing will happen between these two. There hadn’t been anything behind the rumours of course but the show likes to engineer these kind of things. Yoona goes next and Jondae wishes her well. The lights dim once more until the moment Heechul announces Yoona’s partner will be Hyoyeon. Both girls beam as they hug and the crowd doesn’t seem to cheer any less for the same sex pairing. There’s another cut called for the next VT and everyone adjusts to let Baekhyun, Junmyeon and Seokjin to move into their positions. 

Junmyeon goes first and is paired with Seulgi, Seokjin is paired with Sunmi and Baekhyun is welcomed to what Jongdae thinks is the loudest cheer of the night. He banters effortlessly with Heechul about almost nothing before Yixing is announced as his partner. There’s excitable chatter around the audience long after the applause dies down. Jongdae quickly realises that they will be a popular pair, no doubt. Seeing how popular the same sex pairings have been reassures Jongdae that tthe idea to include was actually a good one. 

The next set of girls are called to finish pairing them up. There’s three girls left and three boys left. Tzuyu is up next. She’s probably the person Jongdae knows least of the celebrity cast. When she’s paired with Sehun, Jongdae can immediately see how well suited they are in looks. Both are tall with gorgeous features so Jongdae gives a little nod of understanding as they move towards the stairs again. Hyuna goes next and she’s paired with Hoseok. Hoseok is really popular with the crowd and they both grin as they move away together. The last girl to go is Taeyeon who Jongdae has actually worked with on an OST in the past. She’s a truly sweet person so Jongdae quietly hopes that the person she’s paired with is as kind as she is. Heechul happily cheers Donghae’s name and the pairing comes together leaving only three pros left.

Most coherent thought leaves Jongdae as he lets himself be guided towards the stage. The crowd buzzes with conversation that Jongdae tunes out as he stands and waits. Chanyeol is in front of him and Kyungsoo behind. His nerves build with the music as Chanyeol gets paired with Lisa. Heechul beckons Jongdae down from the few steps to a pretty large amount of applause from the crowd. He smiles his way through his intro and agrees when Heechul asks if he’d like to find out his partner. The minute the lights dim, he feels his heart rate begin to spike. Of the pros remaining, one is a young man similar in height to Jongdae and the other is a cute young girl. Presuming his manager, Ryeowook, will have urged the show to pair him in a more conventional pairing to preserve his squeaky clean image, he fully expects to be paired with the girl, who Jongdae thinks is called Momo. Tension carries on building and it feels like it lasts so much longer for him than anybody else that has gone previously. 

“It’s Minseok!” Heechul announces and Jongdae hears nothing else. His body must function without his brain as he comprehends what just happened. When he watches the footage back, he’s proud of how well his training kicked in. On camera, he appears composed, happy, even excited to be partnered with Minseok. When he distances himself, Jongdae can understand why the showrunners paired them together. Their physiques are similar, both are independently very popular and the rumour mill is already churning away about Jongdae being put into one of the same sex pairings. 

Finally coming back to his senses, Jongdae navigates his way through their mini interview afterwards with all the right smiles and all the necessary slight touches between himself and Minseok. As the show formalities draw to a close, Jongdae takes a moment to study his new partner. 

Minseok is everything you would expect from a dancer. The tight fitting black shirt emphasises just how lean and muscular Minseok is, hugging his shoulders and arms in a way that makes Jongdae feel guilty for looking too long. With his hair swept up off his forehead, the focus is narrowed onto his features. Pretty eyes, strong bone structure and a playful tilt to his expression all add to Minseok’s handsomeness. Internally, Jongdae sighs. He’s going to have to keep his hands to himself without being allowed to keep his hands to himself. The show ends around him and Baekhyun immediately corners him.

“Here’s my number. I figured it would be good to stick to together as we’re in the same sex partnerships and what not.” Baekhyun talks fast, over the sound of all the other voices and the equipment being disassembled. Jongdae is halfway through a nod when Ryeowook clamps a hand around Jongdae’s arm. 

“Did you say something that would cause this?” Panic tinges Ryeowook’s words. Aware that both Baekhyun and Minseok are most definitely within earshot, Jongdae hurries to calm Ryeowook down. 

“Relax Ryeowook. There’s nothing wrong with the partnership. I’m sure everyone who protests against the pairing will be shot down by everyone else. If anything, this will give us more of the attention that you think is so important.” Jongdae pries Ryeowook’s hand from his own forearm. There’s a long pause as Ryeowook studies Jongdae’s expression. Trying to keep his face as neutral and open as possible, Jongdae can feel eyes on his back. 

“Fine.” Ryeowook conceeds. “I’ll work on the company side of things, you work on keeping yourself in the competition as long as possible.” 

With a turn on his heel, Ryeowook disappears into the people milling around. Jongdae turns back to the others. He’s greeted by Baekhyun with a small understanding smile on his face whilst Minseok is mostly expressionless. 

“Sorry about him.” Jongdae waves a hand in the vague direction Ryeowook left in. “He only ever sees ratings and sales and popularity.” 

“I get it.” Baekhyun brushes it aside flippantly, probably used to dealing with people like Ryeowook himself. “My offer still stands, you know, sticking together and that.” 

“I’d like that.” Jongdae is quick to agree. The bubbly personality that exudes from Baekhyun will surely be a nice change through the whole process. After sharing a quick grin, Baekhyun excuses himself back to his partner.

“My turn to grab you now.” Is how Minseok greets him. He extends a hand. “Kim Minseok, honoured to be dancing with you.”

Jongdae laughs lightly at his words.

“You might regret those words when you actually see me dance.” Jongdae’s words are light but genuine nervousness lies underneath in his tone. 

“Eh, I like a challenge.” Minseok emphasises his words with a wink which makes Jongdae’s heart trip for a beat or two. There’s a longer pause than usual as Jongdae’s brain catches back up. 

“Well, then, I’m sure we’ll get along fine.” Jongdae grins in an attempt to cover how Minseok’s words had affected him. “Shall I meet you outside once we’re out of wardrobe and we can talk schedules and such?” 

Minseok nods in agreement and they saunter back to complete any extra VT work that’s needed. It takes about an hour before everything is done and Jongdae is back in his own clothes. He answers a few texts and replies to one or two comments on youtube before Minseok appears. He’s back in his casual wear as well, a simple t-shirt, tight fitting jeans and a hoodie. There’s a slight messiness to his hair that wasn’t there before that Jongdae likes. It makes Minseok seem less perfect. 

“So, schedule wise, you’re not touring right now so it’ll be easier to coordinate training with you in one place.” Digging into his pocket, Minseok pulls out his phone. “Is there any days you have regular stuff to attend?”

With his question, Minseok opens a calendar app. Jongdae lists off his vocal lesson times and warns that he’ll inevitably have interviews and a possible OST song at some point. Seemingly satisfied that Jongdae isn’t that busy at the moment and after taking down Jongdae’s number, Minseok relegates his phone back to his pocket. 

“Well, it looks like we start tomorrow. Wear something you don’t mind getting sweaty and at least one change of clothes as I doubt you’ll want to get papped in sweaty gym stuff. The show is generally a little more gentle with their exposure.” Minseok grins as Jongdae nods his agreement. 

“Ok, I’ll bring my gym stuff. See you bright and early.” Jongdae is quick to agree, eager to go home and wash the products from his face and hair. After listing off the address for the practice room, Minseok waves his goodbye and Jongdae forces himself to do the same without watching Minseok leave. 

When his alarm blasts at sometime between 5:30 and 6am, Jongdae hates everything again. Whilst he’s used to early wake ups, the thought of having to dance for hours makes his limbs feel like lead. When his phone chimes for the second time, Jongdae reluctantly drags himself through his morning routine. He feels more awake by the time he gets to the dance hall. The awake feeling fully ignites when he spots Minseok warming up through one of the windows. Not wanting to seem weird, he pushes open the door and is greeted by a camera set up in the corner and Minseok walking over to him. 

“So you made it!” Minseok jokes as he welcomes Jongdae with a quick hug.

“I considered running away but I think you and Ryeowook would hunt me down pretty quickly. Thought it would be easier if I didn’t put up a fight.” They’re both grinning by the end of their greetings but Minseok brings Jongdae back to Earth with a thud. 

“Feel free to throw your stuff by mine and then we’ll stretch and warm up.” With a gesture at his bag in the corner of the room, Minseok moves back into the centre of the room. Jongdae dutifully does as Minseok says before standing back in front of the mirror. The stretches Minseok leads him through are similar to the ones he remembers doing in his trainee days. It’s a little more thorough than what he does for his gym sessions nowadays but nothing cracks or pops so Jongdae is relieved that he’s still in ok shape. The camera remains unmanned until they’re done when a man sticks his head around the door. 

“Are you ready to film the dance reveal section?” The question seems innocuous but it sends a little tremor of nerves through Jongdae. 

“Sure.” Minseok says happily. They position themselves so that it doesn’t look strange in the mirror and the cameraman lines it up before showing them the thumbs up. 

“So what is it we’re going to be doing this week?” Jongdae launches into the script. 

“For your first dance, we’re doing the…” Dramatically pausing, Minseok raises an eyebrow as Jongdae waits to be told his fate. “... Cha cha cha!” 

Reacting suitably surprised, Jongdae finishes his few remaining lines and the cameraman seems happy that everything ran smoothly. 

“Right, sorted. Good luck on your practice, I’ll be back in a few hours. Call if you need anything.” With that, the cameraman waves his goodbye and Minseok begins teaching Jongdae in earnest. 

When they break for lunch, Jongdae’s head is swimming with words like chasse, new yorker, ronde and he’ll be hearing cha cha cha’s in his sleep. Alongside his mental blur, his body aches in ways he didn’t know it could ache. It’s a different pain than what he’s used to experiencing at the gym. His muscles feel like they’re been stretched to the point of what feels like unending soreness. Lunch barely helps him get his breath back but it does let him get to know Minseok better. 

The dancer is smiley, open and friendly outside of when he’s not correcting Jongdae’s form or re-teaching the routine to him. They talk about most things over their sandwiches and coffee which makes Minseok hum with happiness as he drinks it. Jongdae’s glad he gets on well with Minseok. If they’re going to be working together for a few weeks, he’s glad that he doesn’t hate the other person. Minseok turns out to be only a few years older than Jongdae and they talk about how they ended up where they are- Jongdae through his idol training and Minseok through his years of competition.

Knowing that Minseok is actually a nice person helps Jongdae through the afternoon as Minseok pushes and pulls his body into the right place. 

“Straighten your legs, Jongdae! This needs to be sharper here so that the 2 and the 3 beats in the song are the highlights.” Minseok claps his hands with the song which jars Jongdae out of his head and promptly makes him forget whatever comes next. 

“Eurgh, sorry.” Jongdae fumbles a few more steps before stopping. “Can you show me that again? I don’t think I really know what I’m supposed to do there.” 

“Sure.” Minseok smiles at Jongdae’s request for another demonstration. They switch roles of leader and follower a lot so Minseok understands why he would struggle to order everything in his head. The rest of the day passes similarly to the first half and when they’re done, Jongdae collapses on his back on the floor. Laughing, Minseok sits down beside him and pats his shoulder. 

“You did really good for your first day.” The compliment warms Jongdae. “You’ve got all the muscality I could ask for and I know you can learn the steps, we’ve just got to nail the techniques and I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

“Mmm.” Jongdae makes a non-committal noise from his place on the floor. He’s doubting everything at the moment but it’s nice to know that Minseok believes in him. They pack up all their stuff and head to shower. Distinctly keeping his eyes to himself, Jongdae revels in the hot water directly hitting his exhausted body. It takes him back to his trainee days. He was never the most natural dancer, so he had to spend a lot more of his open practice time in the dance rooms, drilling routines and techniques. This was back when he was supposed to be debuting in a group and therefore, needed to be able to dance and keep up with whatever choreography they were given. Then all the plans were changed and he became a soloist without needing to focus on dance. He’s glad of those days now as he bids Minseok farewell and heads home. After dinner, he sits and listens to the song they’re dancing to on loop for at least an hour, occasionally standing up to pace through parts of the routine with the song. When he heads to bed, Jongdae’s a little bit more confident that he can actually do this and won’t just flop week one. 

By lunch the next day, Jongdae has decided that Tuesday will be the worst day of every week to come. Minseok has noticed he’s got the beats down and he can pretty much nail the choreography at a slower tempo but Jongdae knows that he’s lacking technique. The hours of replaying the same move over and over again leaves both his body and his mind numb. As he drags himself into bed that night, he once again questions why he agreed to this. 

Wednesday and Thursday are both better. Jongdae can reliably perform the whole routine with only occasional slip ups. He’s also managed to minimise the effect of how attractive Minseok is by viewing him as his scary but still kind teacher. To be fair, Jongdae is quite well practiced at not acting on any attraction he’s felt for anyone since his debut. It was a distinct part of his image that he remained scandal free and generally a safe bet for any sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership. Collaborations had always been easy to come by as well thanks to how clean his image is. Minseok, whilst fitting Jongdae’s type pretty darn well, is not worth throwing away everything he’s worked for. 

Friday is studio rehearsals, including a dress rehearsal. They have three run-throughs of the routine in their normal practice clothes back to back and Jongdae finds himself slumped in a chair where the audience would be after the practice, gasping for breath. For once, Minseok is similarly out of breath and they watch the other pairs as they recover. 

Sehun and Tzuyu waltz their way around the floor looking mostly graceful in Jongdae’s eyes but when he looks over to Minseok for his opinion, the dancer’s eyebrows are drawn together. When he notices Jongdae looking at him, he leans in to explain. 

“Sehun is compensating for her quite a bit. He’s practically carrying her left arm with his. It’s a trick we use to try and hide a bad top line in a follower. Look at how her elbow starts to drop when the footwork becomes more complicated. It gives it away.” There’s no malice in Minseok’s words, it’s purely analytical. At that moment, it’s really obvious how much experience Minseok has in the dance world. They watch Momo and Kyungsoo quickstep which is met with quite a few compliments from Minseok. Hoseok and Hyuna are on the second run of their samba when Jongdae and Minseok are called into makeup and wardrobe. Most of the makeup is simple, neatening up that Jongdae is used to for shows and comebacks. The stylists give his hair a tousled, messy look that’s mostly parted off his forehead. The two girls laugh as they work on both of them. 

“You’ll soon realise why most of the pros hair their hair styled off their forehead.” His stylist says as she finishes off Jongdae’s look. When Jongdae lifts his eyebrows in question, she clarifies. “It gets stuck down with the sweat.” 

Minseok laughs his agreement. 

“We get to play around with styles a bit more for ballroom but with latin it’s generally just… don’t let it touch the forehead.” Shooting a grin at Jongdae, Minseok stands ready to head to wardrobe. Hani perks up when they both walk in. Their outfits are similar- simple black trousers, the black shoes they’ve been wearing for practice, and mainly black short sleeved tops. Jongdae’s shirt is styled a little more conservatively than Minseok’s with buttons that close just beneath his collar bones and crystals that act as trim around the base of the shirt, the end of the sleeves and the collar. Minseok’s option is a little more revealing and the crystals are focused mostly at his shoulders fading away as you move down the shirt. The turquoise and silver crystals add a whole other dimension to the outfits. If Minseok moved just the right way, most of his ribcage would be on show, a fact that Jongdae does well nott to think about. 

They run through the routine twice more once dressed and Jongdae is amazed how well his hair and makeup hold up. Once everything has been run through and all the staff are happy that the show is ready to go, the celebs and pros are allowed to go. Jongdae catches up with Baekhyun, who he knows has been learning the jive. 

“I’ve been so exhausted after practice.” Baekhyun laments. “I fell asleep in the bath tuesday night and woke up about an hour later freezing cold.” 

Chanyeol, who is passing overhears, and laughs along. 

“I thought I was in good shape but my ankles and knees have never been so sore.” Both Baekhyun and Jongdae look at Chanyeol in surprise. “I’m not kidding! I have to spend so much of this dance thinking about straight legs, which I rarely do at basketball so I’ve been looking twice as clumsy as usual.” 

“Ahh, you must have cha cha too!” Jongdae puts everything together. “I swear Minseok takes joy in telling me my knees are bent again.” 

There’s laughter and more chatter but it’s obvious they’re avoiding talking about the underlying sense of nervousness they all have. Baekhyun’s partner, Yixing, appears as the conversation begins to lull and smiles at the all. 

“The guys never confess they’re nervous but we all know you are so I’m just going to spout some advice. It’s week one, no one goes home. Use this week to get used to how chaotic the live shows feel, what it’s like dancing for the crowd. Week two will feel a lot easier if you take as much of week one in as possible.” Yixing is smiley and super relaxed which is the polar opposite of what Jongdae is used to the night before a big event. It’s surprisingly refreshing to hear someone so positive and it actually helps blow away some of the anxiousness that was threatening at the edge of Jongdae’s mind. 

“Charming the new boys already, Yixing?” Minseok’s tone is light and playful as he joins them. 

“You promised you wouldn’t tell them about my tendency to flirt and you’ve spilled the secret before week one is even done.” Yixing rolls his eyes but it’s clear there’s zero negativity between the two of them. 

“Sorry to spoil the fun.” Minseok’s smirk suggests he’d rather add to the mischief than spoil it. “But I’m here to suggest maybe making a move homewards. It’s a long day tomorrow.” 

There’s murmurs of agreement that spread through the group and farewells are exchanged. Jongdae leaves with Minseok until he reaches his car, where he pauses. 

“Thanks for all your help and patience this week.” Jongdae offers his gratitude as a parting comment. “Fingers crossed I can put all you’ve taught me into action tomorrow.” 

Minseok laughs and wrestles Jongdae into a hug. 

“You’ll be totally fine. We’ve definitely got this.” Breaking apart, the two share a grin before Jongdae waves his goodbye and climbs into his car to head home.

When he wakes saturday morning, he’s grateful Minseok has worn him out all week. He’d been slightly worried he wouldn’t be able to sleep but like every other evening that week, the second his head had hit the pillow, he’d been out like a light.

Arriving at the studio feels very similar to how it felt a week ago for partnering. He’s sure he should be more nervous but his performer instincts have kicked in and they quiet any overly loud parts of his brain telling him to be scared. The moment he opens the door, the staff urge him into hair and makeup, stress already running high on set. He’s there with Hoseok, Taemin and Kyungsoo who all talk about anything that isn’t dance related. It works to further ease Jongdae. Once he’s been made sufficiently camera ready, he’s swept along into wardrobe. Minseok is already there, having his finishing touches done and he grins when Jongdae walks in. 

“I told you he wouldn’t run away, Hani. He’s a performer!” Minseok aims his words at the stylist as she moves to grab Jongdae’s clothes. Waving a vague hand at Minseok to dismiss his statement, she passes everything over to Jongdae. 

“I had every faith in him.” Winking to reinforce her words, she lightly pushes Jongdae behind the curtain. With a few tweaks, she declares them ready and shoos them from the room. It leaves Minseok and Jongdae with nothing left to do but make their way to the back of the stage and wait for the show to begin. They’re just about in position when the five minutes until live shout echoes around. Assistants usher them into place behind Donghae and Taeyeon. A quick look around shows most couples are holding hands so in a moment of bravery, Jongdae offers his palm to Minseok. The dancer beams as he takes the offered hand and Jongdae finally lets his heart race in excitement. He can hear Heechul’s voice and the sound of the audience increase as the reach the top of the stairs. 

“Singer and Idol Kim Jongdae and his partner Kim Minseok!” With a squeeze of hands, they walk out from behind the curtain and wave. The sound of the audience goes straight to Jongdae’s head and the familiar rush of adrenaline powers him down the stairs on the other side. Finding their place in the lights is easy and they bop along to the music. A little more intro is finished before they’re whisked off up onto the balcony with all the other couples, bar Taemin and Irene who are opening the show. 

The duo open the show with a salsa that gets the whole room fired up. It’s fast paced and action packed which is probably why they were chosen to open the show. There’s even lifts which Jongdae doesn’t quite want to think about in terms of himself and Minseok. Overall, they do well with scores that equal 27. Seulgi and Junmyeon follow with a dramatic tango routine that appears to be going well until Junmyeon stumbles over his feet near the end. It drops their scores to four 5’s which is followed by Hoseok and Hyuna scoring one point better. Taeyeon staggers her way through her viennese waltz scoring 17 overall. Momo and Kyungsoo perform their quickstep really well and get the best score so far of 29. 

Jongdae feels the tension build every time another couple completes their dance. Lisa and Chanyeol manage their cha cha without any mishaps but the judges penalise for his technique with scores of three 5’s and a 4. Thanks to Minseok pointing it out, Jongdae is able to see some of the errors Tzuyu makes in her waltz that leads to a score of 18. Yoona follows afterwards doing a little better and getting 20 points. 

As Jongin and Jennie begin their tango, Jongdae and Minseok are led to their place backstage where they can wait for their cue. Over the tannoy, Jongdae hears them score something like 24 or 25. Minseok pulls him lightly out onto the floor before he can confirm it as the staff give them their cue. They stand together near the corner of the stage just waiting for the music to start. 

“Eyes on me or the audience! Your feet know what they’re doing. Let’s do this!” Minseok says over the murmur of the crowd, quickening Jongdae’s heart rate. All Jongdae has time to respond with is a nod before the music starts and his body switches to autopilot. He doesn’t even think before he launches into the first set of steps. Moving away from Minseok, he plays to the audience, when they join back up, his attention is solely on Minseok. Every beat reaffirms his steps and by the time their hitting the new yorkers and cuban breaks near the end of the routine, Jongae realises he’s actually enjoying himself. Four bars later when he slides to Minseok’s side for the final pose, whilst he’s very much exhausted, Jongdae wishes they could do the whole thing again. Minseok is grinning and pulling him into a hug, both of their chests heaving with the exertion. Moving into their position in front of the judges, Jongdae can’t fight the smile on his face. For the most part the comments are positive. There’s a few notes on his technique but as they move to receive their scores Jongdae is riding an adrenaline high similar to how he feels after a concert. The positive comments are such a morale boost and the cheers from his fellow celebrities as he rejoins them to get his scores warm him as well. 

They score two 7’s and two 6’s and Jongdae is glowy and pleased with that. It’s a good platform from which to build and a little bit away from the bottom of the table. As they come back to their senses, Sunmi and Seokjin finish up with their waltz and score 18 for it but Jongdae has to confess he wasn’t watching closely enough to know why. Hyuna and Hoseok score 22 for their samba but it’s Baekhyun and Yixing that close the show with a bang. Their jive is fun, exciting and has tricks and flicks from start to finish. Jongdae shouts his encouragement from the balcony, proud that Baekhyun has done so well. He’s a natural performer and Yixing has done a great job at making the routine work brilliantly for the both of them. They score 28 overall, the second highest of the night and Jongdae feels excited for the coming weeks shows as well as this one. They wrap things up with no major mistakes and everyone is suddenly congratulating everyone else on a great first show. Jongdae finds Baekhyun and quickly grabs him into a hug. 

“You did so well! You really were worried for nothing.” The compliments fly from Jongdae easily. He’s glad that his new friend had a good show, it doesn’t feel like they’re actually competing against each other at all. 

“I could say the same to you! Your cha cha was so much fun, I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to see what everyone gets up to next week.” Baekhyun is gushy as well, riding the emotional rush that comes with a live performance. Yixing and Minseok join them, having been talking with each other whilst Jongdae and Baekhyun caught up. 

“Our boys did pretty good, eh, Minseok?” Yixing’s words have a sense of both pride and playful mischief. Throwing an arm around Jongdae’s shoulders, Minseok counters. 

“We’ll get you next week, don’t relax yet Yixing.” It’s obvious amongst the pros that Yixing and Minseok are some of the closest. Jongdae makes a mental note to ask Minseok about it some time during the training that week. 

“Ahh, don’t go promising that! You’re relying on me being good enough at whatever we get next.” Jongdae mock cries into his own chest to giggles from everyone. Patting his shoulder in an almost comforting way, Minseok relinquishes his hold on Jongdae. 

“Have faith in yourself. I’m sure you’ll be fine with whatever it ends up being.” Reassuring words automatically come from Minseok and the conversation relaxes again. 

“Let’s just work to make it good for the boys.” Baekhyun offers a compromise that Jongdae is keen to take. There’s talk of an after party going around for a successful first show but the after party ends up being the pros and celebs getting a drink together at a bar nearby to the studio. Jongdae doesn’t drink much, he’s expecting to revel in doing absolutely nothing on his one day off and he doesn’t want to be nursing a hangover for that. There’s the idea of going somewhere to dance that floats around briefly but most of the celebs have things they need to do or places they need to be the following day and it restricts the evening to simple drinks. Jongdae drifts his way around, making sure to talk to everyone and get close to everyone as best he can. It’s a lot of fun to chat with people that know about the stress of always being in the public eye like he does. Since his last album got released, he’s had very little down time so knowing that he is still able to enjoy himself in moments like these is a comfort. 

When he gets home, he feels more content than he has in a long while. The performance had gone well, Minseok seemed proud of him. And after everything, he’d enjoyed spending time with the rest of the cast. 

For the majority of sunday, Jongdae relaxes. He does a lot of stretching, takes a long bath and gets himself back in the headspace he needs for another week of long hours of practice. Towards the evening, he dabbles in some song writing. Inspiration had been floating out of reach for a little while and it’s nice to feel an inch or two of it starting to return to his mind. He doesn’t really like any of what he writes enough to bookmark it for the future but he’s content in that moment to simply have been able to write again. 

Waking up monday and heading into the dance studio feels almost normal. As always, Minseok has beaten him there and is already warming up. 

“Do you sleep here or something?” Jongdae jokes as he puts his bag in it’s usual space. The laugh he gets in return reassures him that the atmosphere hasn’t changed now there’s a chance they could be sent home. 

“Joke whilst you can, you’re back in my control now.” Minseok does a pretend evil laugh and they finish off warming up together. Their cameraman reappears to film their usual Monday reveal and they vary the position by having both of them sit back against the wall to chat. 

“So, our dance this week is the waltz!” Minseok announces and Jongdae comically sighs. They finish the little scripted segment and are left to their devices for Minseok to shape Jongdae into a perfect ballroom dancer. As with last week, they start by running through the choreography and getting the basics down. The waltz feels so incredibly different to the cha cha cha that Jongdae’s head is spinning by lunch. When he checks his phone during their break, Chanyeol has messaged asking if he wants to grab some lunch together. The studio they're at is close by to Jongdae’s so he accepts the invite. They meet at a small restaurant that lies between their practice places with Lisa and Minseok as well. 

“How’re you finding your new dance?” Chanyeol launches into conversation the second they sit down. 

“It’s… awkward in a whole different way to the cha cha.” Jongdae isn’t quite sure how to explain why the waltz feels weird to him. After they talk for a while, the fear Jongdae had been feeling when confronted with the new dance. Lisa turns out to be a laugh as well. The new nerves that come with the new dance melt away as they joke and chat and when they part ways, Jongdae feels significantly lighter. 

That lightness carries him through the rest of his practice week. Minseok is the same mix of caring and militant that Jongdae needs to be able to learn and get better at the routine. There’s a few parts that he dislikes. The bar that Minseok makes him practice with to improve his frame that loops around his shoulders was 100% crafted in hell to torment him. All in all, the week flies by in comparison to the first week and before Jongdae even really notices, he’s back in the makeup chair on Saturday getting ready for his performance. 

True to the stylists words, his hair is over his forehead this time. They’re trying to give him a soft look to match the softer vibe of the waltz. Minseok has crafted a beautiful story line about two brothers growing up together and then growing apart and Jongdae has been trying to over expose himself to the song in an effort to avoid being in tears himself by the end of the track. 

They’re kitted out in slightly different outfits this time. Jongdae is leading Minseok for the majority of the routine and as such he’s been given the role of the brother that grows up into an office worker complete with a suit and tie. They’ve also provided a briefcase for him to collect as he walks away at the end of the song. Minseok is dressed more casually. As the brother that grew up into a musician, he’s in a much more idol-like outfit of ripped jeans, a white t-shirt and a leather jacket that he sheds for the majority of the dance. As they’re waiting, Minseok whispers in Jongdae’s ear that they’re closing the show this time and the same anticipation kicks in as last week. 

Jongin and Jennie kick off the show with a fun cha cha and Jongdae cheers his way through his friends routines. Yixing and Baekhyun are fourth to go and they score 29 for their incredibly soothing Viennese Waltz. As each pairing completes their routine, Jongdae’s excitement builds and builds. Chanyeol is the second to last to go and so Jongdae doesn’t get to see their routine as he is waiting with Minseok backstage. He thinks they score better than they did the week before but Jongdae struggles to truly hear what the judges say about their routine. They set up in their position next to each other on the stairs. Jongdae has a loosened tie and no blazer at the beginning and Minseok has a mock button up shirt over his t-shirt that comes undone via velcro. The song begins and they’re both swept away into the motions of the choreography. Despite his best efforts, Jongdae finds himself welling up by the end. Halfway through, Minseok tightens his tie for him and Jongdae helps him remove the button up shirt. The tonal shift at the end has Jongdae shrugging on his own blazer and Minseok pulling on his own leather jacket. For the final few beats, they pretend to fight and Jongdae bends to grab his briefcase and leave whilst Minseok slumps onto the stairs with his head in his hands. 

They rejoin each other and hug when it’s done and Jongdae blinks away his tears. The audience is so loud around them as they find their place in front of the judges. Both female judges sound choked up and the male ones are both incredibly complimentary. All four pour praise onto Minseok for his impressive choreography and Jongdae gives Minseok a little round of applause himself. When the scores are all done, Jongdae and Minseok sit at the top of the leaderboard with 30 points. The horrible wait for the live voting begins and there’s a musical performance from a band that Jongdae has seen up and coming performances from. The pro dancers have a fast paced routine to accompany them and Jongdae beams watching Minseok being able to properly show off how good of a dancer he is. 

There’s a little bit of rearranging that happens whilst some pre-recorded videos are played and all of a sudden, all the couples are stood in a spotlight of their own. Music builds as each safe couple is announced: Taemin and Irene, Yoona and Hyoyeon, Momo and Kyungsoo, Lisa and Chanyeol. As nervousness starts to creep into Jongdae’s veins, Heechul announces that Jongdae and Minseok are the next couple safe. A quick rush of relief lets them breathe a huge sigh before hugging one another. One by one, the other couples are announced until Sunmi and Seokjin and Sehun and Tzuyu are declared the two couples in the dance off. They repeat their dances, with Sehun and Tzuyu doing a lot better in the second run. The judges unanimously decide to save Tzuyu and Seokjin is a graceful loser. Goodbye hugs are exchanged and when they go out afterwards, Seokjin is cheered by everyone. 

The next week of samba for Jongdae and Minseok runs similarly with Donghae and Tayeon being eliminated after they perform a generally uncomfortable rumba. 

Tango is their dance for week four. It involves a whole lot of body contact and a whole lot of Minseok rearranging Jongdae in a way that Jongdae finds hard to ignore. It comes alongside a sense of comfort that allows Minseok and Jongdae to joke and tease one another. 

“Look, Jongdae, I know your concepts are generally good and clean and all but surely, you’ve had sex with another human being before?” Minseok breaks out of their hold to playfully complain at Jongdae. 

“Hey! My hips aren’t that frozen in place!” Jongdae playfully wiggles them at Minseok, who scrunches his face in mock disgust. In little to no time, Jongdae is chasing Minseok around the practice room leading with his pelvis and Minseok is so out of breath from laughing that eventually he gives up and lets Jongdae tackle him to the floor. There isn’t much of a tussle, Minseok gives in easily and Jongdae quickly realises he’s crossed a line when he freezes on top of Minseok. 

“You alright?” Minseok asks when Jongdae goes quiet. 

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” Rolling off his partner, Jongdae draws himself up into a sitting position. “I guess I’ve fallen out of practice at how to playfully flirt without it getting weird. Sorry about that.” 

At Jongdae’s admission, Minseok laughs lightly. 

“So, the whole time since you debuted, you’ve never flirted with anyone?” A note of incredulity creeps into Minseok’s voice.

“Not with any intention, no. I’ve hooked up with people, sure, but never anything close to a relationship.” When Minseok gestures for him to continue, Jongdae elaborates. “For the first year, it was simply a part of my contract. No relationships, no casual hook ups, no nothing. Getting into that kind of scandal would have probably killed my career before it even got started. Then the wholesome, boy next door image was thought up for my second album and management urged me to avoid anything that could damage that, including a relationship. Since then, it’s just been more of that really. There was always a reason I shouldn’t be in a relationship so that’s why management had always put pressure on me to never get into a relationship. I guess along the way I got so used to turning people down and not acting on anything, that I don’t even know how to be casual about it anymore.” 

“It sucks that your management thought it was even remotely ok to restrict you outside of contract. No wonder Ryeowook nearly spontaneously combusted when you got me as a partner. They were probably intending on this being a way of gently easing the general public into you potentially having a relationship. Wouldn’t be so gentle if your partner ended up being another guy. I know it’s not as big of a deal now as it was back in the day, but it’s still a lot less attractive to a company to have to reveal that surprise, not only is he dating, he’s also gay!” Minseok lays another card onto the table that Jongdae hadn’t really considered. 

“Yeah, I think you’ve nailed it there.” Jongdae smiles sadly. “On that note… I will try and channel my repressed need for a relationship via this tango and make sure that by the end of it you’ve fallen madly in love with me.” 

After the minor case of spilling his guts, Jongdae gets back to work learning tango. His vigor is renewed and when it comes to the performance, they nail it, scoring their highest score of 32. At the other end, unfortunately, Hyoyeon and Yoona are eliminated. Jongdae is sad to see another friend leave. He’s genuinely begun to think of everyone in the competition as his friends and having to watch someone leave each week is a little upsetting. 

Week Five sees Jongdae and Minseok learning the charleston. It’s Jongdae’s favourite routine they’ve done yet, with tricks and lifts and an all round playful vibe. Fitting with both his and Minseok’s personality, the charming, upbeat routine has them both giggling a whole lot more through the practice sessions. It’s sometime on Thursday when Jongdae is halfway through drinking a huge gulp of water, that Minseok slips during his own little practice and wheels his arms and legs like a cartoon character. It results in Jongdae spluttering, covering himself and the floor in the water he was drinking. After regaining his balance, Minseok cascades into his own giggles. To retaliate for Minseok laughing at him, Jongdae empties the rest of the bottle over Minseok, making them both equally soaked. There’s a pause as they both consider what has happened. Their t-shirts clinging to them, the floorboards with small puddles, Minseok’s hair dripping with the water. Time seems to pause as they laugh and when Minseok eventually manages to regain his breath, he shakes the hair off his face. There’s a long moment where they both just stare at each other. The building camaraderie makes itself suddenly incredibly apparent and Jongdae’s somewhat forgotten ability to find Minseok attractive comes crashing back into him. Laughing the silence off, Jongdae suggests they both change into something a bit more dry and then get back to their practice. The agreement from Minseok is easy and relaxed assuring Jongdae that everything is alright. 

They grin their way through the Saturday night performance. The choreography tells the perfectly funny story of them being incredibly inept bank robbers, ending with them slumped back to back behind mock cell bars and the audience gives them a huge standing ovation for the performance. Along with Jongin and Jennie, they get the first nines of the series and go sailing through to week 6. At the other end of the table, Sehun and Tzuyu and Lisa and Chanyeol are in the dance off with Chanyeol correcting the mistakes he’d made in their samba well enough to stay in. 

Week 6 and 7 fly by in the form of a Viennese waltz and a quickstep. Each week, Jongdae finds it harder to ignore just how much he is growing to like Minseok. Hyuna is eliminated week 6, and in a shock decision, Irene and Taemin are knocked out week 7. 

The eighth week is one of the harder weeks. They have the paso doble which is unlike any of the other dances they’ve done. Minseok’s choreography has so much tension in it, the training room practically buzzes with it whenever they’re done with the routine. There’s several clashes of them coming together. At one point, Minseok has the upper hand, his hands lightly wrapped around Jongdae’s throat before Jongdae throws them off. The next moment has Jongdae chasing him down before they twist around each other. At the direct middle of the routine, they come together, crossing forearms, once, twice, three times before Minseok adjusts his hold to aid Jongdae in sliding his way around him to the floor. The routine culminates in them standing facing each other initially but on the wednesday, Minseok comes to him with a change. 

“For the ending, to parallel earlier on in the routine, I want to try something different.” He directs Jongdae to face the mirror as Minseok stands near Jongdae’s right arm, his body angled so that his left shoulder faces the mirror. With a few slow motion run throughs and some practice with a mat beneath them, Jongdae is soon reliably able to neck drop Minseok. Minseok uses all his core strength to keep himself parallel to the ground with his knees bent at 90 degrees. It’s dramatic and relies on Minseok placing a lot of his trust in Jongdae and when they eventually perform it on Saturday, it closes their routine with a huge bang. As they hug afterwards, Jongdae is warmed by both the audience's reaction and knowing that Minseok genuinely trusts him enough to perform something potentially dangerous. They soar to the top of the leaderboard with 39 points and Jongdae feels this warm buzz vibrate through him. Unfortunately, he loses another friend when Lisa and Chanyeol are voted out. There’s loud celebratory drinks that culminates in Chanyeol being danced around by all the pros as the celebs cheer and whoop from the sidelines. 

Jongdae is doubly exhausted for week 9 as they have two dances to learn instead of one and they’re both frustrating for entirely different reasons. Jongdae has discovered he’s more comfortable in latin routines than ballroom but the latin routine this time is rumba, the notoriously sexy dance. It doesn’t help that Minseok isn’t holding back on actually making it a romantic routine. They start their days with the Foxtrot practice and switch to rumba halfway through. Foxtrot, whilst fiddly, falls into place easily enough. Rumba continues to plague him until Tuesday afternoon near the end of their practice, when Minseok acts. Jongdae is stood near the mirrors, catching his breath when he notices Minseok has turned off the camera. His eyebrows knit together as he hasn’t seen Minseok do it before. He wouldn’t be surprised if Minseok was about to chew him out for his reluctance to commit to the dance and simply didn’t want that to appear on camera. 

What actually happens is very different. Minseok stalks towards him and Jongdae drops his bottle in surprise, as he wasn’t expecting to be approached. As Minseok cages him against the mirror, Jongdae feels his mind go blank. Feeling literally torn in two between desperately wanting it to be genuine and knowing that he shouldn’t be acting on anything, Jongdae responds solely by curling his hands into fists. Minseok aligns their bodies, fixing Jongdae with a look that betrays the fact that this is more than just to stop him avoiding the dance. Leaning his weight into Jongdae, Minseok lightly brushes his lips against Jongdae’s ear. He feels Jongdae’s breath hitch as he speaks. 

“Push me away if you don’t want this Jongdae.” He pauses, letting the weight of his words hang in the air. “I’ll change the routine and go back to simply being your dance teacher. Tell me, and I’ll stop.” 

Minseok retreats slightly, letting his breath ghost over the sensitive skin of Jongdae’s neck as he lets Jongdae deliberate. When Minseok feels Jongdae’s hands settle onto his hips, he prepares to be pushed back and told to back off. What he gets is Jongdae curling his fingers inwards, grabbing him tighter, pulling him impossibly closer. 

“Please.” Is all Jongdae manages to say before Minseok silences him with a kiss. It’s like a dam breaking in Jongdae’s head, and he lets his desire and attraction lead him for the first time in years. He gasps into the kiss as it deepens, holding onto Minseok like he’s a lifeline. 

“I’ve got you.” Minseok whispers when they break to draw breath. With their foreheads resting against each other, Jongdae knows he’s stopped hesitating. Minseok retreats and Jongdae feels a little lost in the absence. They part but there’s a reluctance to their motions. “Let’s just talk about this first.” 

Minseok drags Jongdae to the floor beside him and they rest there, with their backs against the mirror. 

“I wasn’t going to let it happen at first.” Jongdae admits. “I’ve been fighting against everything that I’ve found attractive about you from week one.” 

“So, let’s take this slow.” Minseok immediately interjects. “Contrary to everything that people say about the show, I’ve never been romantically involved with any of the celebrities. Not only because my partners have been female and that’s not what I’m into, but because the whole thing is difficult. You guys have a lot to deal with so generally, we try and not add to that. But you… I tried my best to stop it but rumba has to be like this and I couldn’t quite hold back.” 

“I guess we’ve both failed at trying to keep our distance from one another then.” Jongdae laughs as he looks down at his hands. “How about this? We get through the rumba, then we can look at it more seriously and see what we’re going to do about this?” 

A wry smile decorates Minseok’s face. 

“I’ll do my best to keep my hands off you anymore than strictly necessary.” There’s a teasing lilt to his voice. He stands and pulls Jongdae to his feet as well. “Come on, let’s do this again but this time, you don’t hold back.” 

“Yes, sir.” The next practice run is noticeably better. Jongdae dares to actually look Minseok in the eyes as they dance. The conflict in the dance is cranked to a whole new level as the underlying desire actually shows through now. Minseok has crafted a new story that adds another layer to their routine. Jongdae is trying to leave Minseok, but Minseok is fighting to keep him there. At the very end, even after the music has finished, Jongdae walks away as Minseok falls to the ground desolate. They manage to keep everything professional through the week and when Saturday rolls around their foxtrot goes to plan first and then after their quick change, Jongdae finds himself waiting for the music to start for their rumba in an untucked silk shirt and dance trousers staring across at Minseok sat on a prop bed, shirtless with loose fitting trousers of his own. 

As the slow vocals kick in, Jongdae finally gives his all to the dance. When Minseok reaches for him, he recoils as if burnt, when he moves away in the gentler moves, it’s with sadness painted across his expression. The final four bars have them twisting around each other, but as the music draws to its close, Jongdae pushes himself away and walks out of frame as Minseok crumples to the ground. He runs back around the camera to help Minseok up and into a hug as they both grin. The routine is their first 40 and Jongdae honestly thinks it might be his new favourite. 

Seulgi and Junmyeon are eliminated in arguably the closest dance off yet and as everyone wishes them farewell, Jongdae is struck by just how few of them are left. It’s the semi-finals next week and then the finals are suddenly upon them. 

The Sunday after their rumba, Jongdae dares to look at the comments about their dance. 

[I have never wanted a pairing to end up together more than these two!] 

[Honestly, everything about this was perfect! The technique, the story telling, the choreography. If these guys don’t win, it’s a total fix!] 

[The perfect rumba, the perfect pair. Please, don’t break my heart and tell me it was all pretend.] 

He’s struck speechless by how much support is everywhere on the internet. It’s the final push that makes him reach for his phone and volunteer dinner together after practice on Monday. 

Practice is surprisingly normal on Monday. Minseok doesn’t mention dinner, arguably pushes him even harder for the Argentine tango and for the jive. Their argentine is so mirrored and they switch leader follower roles so much, it’s all Jongdae can do to just get it into his head in order. The jive is simply exhausting and when they finally finish practicing, Jongdae finds himself slumped on the floor once again. 

“You live to punish me, don’t you Minseok?” He laments from his place. Minseok simply laughs. 

“I’ll buy dinner to make up for it.” Offering Jongdae both his hands, Minseok pulls Jongdae up to his feet and together, they go and shower. Seemingly both having the same idea, when they dress into new clothes, they’re nicer outfits than usual. They share another laugh at the similarity in their thinking before heading out. 

Dinner is simple but sweet. Finally able to openly flirt, they throw barely disguised jokes at each other until Jongdae yawns twice in under a minute and Minseok takes pity on him. 

“Come on, let’s get you home. I need my student firing on all cylinders for practice tomorrow.” True to his word, Minseok pays for dinner with Jongdae adding the caveat that he pays next time. The walk back to their cars is quiet, Jongdae subtly bumping his hand against Minseok’s until the older relents and takes it in his. Pausing at his car, Jongdae locks eyes with Minseok. 

“I had fun. Thank you.” This time, it’s Jongdae who leans in first. Minseok keeps the kiss chaste and waves as they part. 

The rest of the week, Jongdae feels lighter than he has in ages. They dance around each other in the training room, flirt shamelessly when the camera isn’t on them and share any moment they can together. The performance on Saturday comes too soon for Jongdae’s taste and they perform their two dances well enough to end up second on the leaderboard. As the results are announced, Jongdae is holding Minseok’s hand so hard, he’s surprised the other hasn’t told him to let go yet. Thankfully, they’re announced as the first pair to make the final and the relief at having another week is overwhelming. They stand there watching as Momo and Kyungsoo also make the final. The dance off is so close that even Minseok can’t call which way the judges are going to go. Yixing and Baekhyun perform their tango and Jongin and Jennie perform their samba. After everything, Yixing and Baekhyun are saved by the judges to loud applause from the audience. Baekhyun has been a favourite since week one, Jongdae has grown into his popularity and Kyungsoo has been a total surprise success that the audience at home have shown to really like. 

Baekhyun and Jongdae find each other at the after party and Jongdae spills his secret about himself and Minseok much to Baekhyun’s joy. 

“I can’t believe you! I honestly thought you’d be the last one to cave!” Baekhyun exclaims. “Kyungsoo told me that Jennie had been making eyes at Jongin the entire time they’d been training together but Jongin didn’t act on it at all. Something about not wanting another scandal and the drama that came with it. I’ve been trying to get Yixing to tell me about whether he’s dated anyone but he’s stayed so quiet about it. How did you manage to get Minseok to cave?” Baekhyun hits Jongdae's shoulders playfully as Minseok appears. 

“Ah, ah, no beating on my man.” Minseok says, playfully wrestling Baekhyun into a head lock.

“Sabotage!” Yixing shouts as he runs and tackles Minseok to let go of Baekhyun. It ends in a lot of laughs and a warm experience for them all. 

That warmth carries into their practice for the final. They are given their Paso Doble as their judges dance to improve on. Together they choose their rumba as their favourite dance and for their show dance, Minseok has put together something fun, light hearted and happy go lucky. He grins when Jongdae asks him about it.

“I wanted it to be like you. Like your personality in a routine. So that’s why it’s as fun as it is. Because it’s for you.” Clearly not realising how touching his words are, Minseok panics when he sees the shine of tears in Jongdae’s eyes. “Ahh! No! You’re not supposed to cry! It’s a happy dance!” 

Minseok wraps Jongdae into a hug and let’s him blubber a little. It doesn’t take long for Jongdae to recover and soon they’re practicing as normal. He’s exhausted at the end of each day and they spend less of their free time together as a result of Jongdae simply wanting to be in bed but they still manage to get dinner together on one of the evenings. 

Saturday arrives and Jongdae looks at the studio with such mixed feelings. He really doesn’t want this to be their last show. Baekhyun joins him there when he arrives and they throw an arm around each other. 

“You two are so dramatic.” The sudden words startle them out of their quiet moment. When they turn to face the voice, they find Kyungsoo smirking at them. “We’ll still all meet up after this and you can keep dancing if you want to. If it helps, I’m sure Yixing will eventually bend to your charms Baekhyun.” 

“Yah!” Baekhyun runs at Kyungsoo, who is all at once laughing with them. 

“Come on you two. Let’s not keep them all waiting.” Jongdae eventually breaks the play fight up and drags them into the studio. The staff all seem even busier setting up for the final than they have for any other show. Sitting together as the three remaining celebrities feels even weirder now that Jongdae knows he wouldn’t begrudge anyone of them for winning. He’s styled for the paso doble first, with the eyeliner that comes with it and they decide to go for a general hair style that is simply up and off his face. He knows that tonight is going to be action packed when it comes to how fast they’ll have to be ready for the next dance so he prepares himself for a more frantic evening than he’s experienced yet. The outfits are the same as before except this time they have a few hidden extra poppers or zips to make it easier for them to change faster. By the time the show is starting, that familiar mix of nerves and excitement is coursing through Jongdae’s body. It seems to be contagious this time as Minseok can barely stand still and Yixing is having to hold Baekhyun in place. When Heechul finally welcomes them onto the stage, Jongdae is practically vibrating with anticipation. The smile that comes to his face is an easy one that he no longer has to force. 

Baekhyun opens the show with his quickstep. They fly around the floor, jumping and completing their flicks and tricks exactly as it needs to be. They score a perfect 40 for it but the judges scores no longer matter in the final. Kyungsoo goes next. His judges dance is the charleston and he does a lot better than Jongdae remembers him doing in the first round, but Jongdae would be lying if he said he could see much from their position hidden backstage. 

Their paso doble performance goes by so quickly, Jongdae doesn’t even really know how it went himself. Apparently, it’s gone pretty well as they also score 40. Jongdae barely gets any time to enjoy that success before they’re being hurriedly changed into their rumba outfits. In celebration of the final, Minseok forces him to undo another of the buttons on his shirt. Baekhyun and Yixing perform their samba as their favourite dance, Kyungsoo and Momo throw it all the way back to week one and re-do their quickstep. Jongdae manages to hold back his tears as they complete what feels like an even more emotional rumba. 

Even in the show dance, Minseok and Jongdae's outfits are still slightly different. They both have black trousers with a white stripe down the edge but where Jongdae has a short sleeved shirt and braces, Minseok’s shirt is sleeveless with a black collar to match Jongdae’s black braces. Baekhyun performs a stage style showdance, with himself as a conductor but they slightly mess up a lift near the end which drops their score to 38. Kyungsoo’s is slower, more romantic. Jongdae makes sure to lean around the curtain to be able to watch even if he might be caught on camera doing so. It’s a beautiful routine, full of emotion and Jongdae can feel the tears rise back up again. He disappears back behind the curtain before any of the tears can actually spill over. The stage is reset for them and Minseok grabs him quickly before they step out. 

“Look, whatever happens, I’m incredibly proud of you and I can’t wait to dance with you. Thank you for giving your everything. Let’s do this!” Minseok’s words are all Jongdae hears until the song kicks in and overrides everything. They spin, they jump, they kick, and when they end with Jongdae jumping onto Minseok’s back in piggyback form, both of them are exhausted but in the best way. The hug they share at that point is the longest one they can get away with before moving to stand in front of the judges for the last time. All the positive comments really start to hit Jongdae and by the end, he’s sniffling once again. Once they get up to the balcony, surrounded by all his friends, he finally lets the tears spill over. They’re a mixture of happiness and sadness. It’s been an experience like no other and he is suddenly hit by the realisation that he doesn’t want it to end. Seeing his tears brings Baekhyun over the edge as well and soon a lot of the cast is swiping at their faces. There’s two performances by different singers as they calculate the scores. All too soon, they’re stood back in the spotlights for the last time but now they’re staring at the trophy in front of them. Heechul stands carefully off to one side, ready to announce it. The music lifts, builds and Minseok and Jongdae grip each other's hands so hard, Jongdae is sure he’s going to lose feeling if Heechul doesn’t announce it soon. 

“JONGDAE AND MINSEOK!” Booms over the speakers and suddenly, confetti is everywhere, and about four different people are hugging him at once. Minseok is on his knees, Jongdae’s tears are back in his eyes, shock evident in both of them. At some point, Chanyeol lifts Jongdae into the air and Yixing and Jongin do the same to Minseok. By the time they finally get to lift the trophy, all that’s left is laughter and overwhelming happiness. 

It’s about two weeks later when the whirlwind of interviews and tv appearances finally slows down enough that Jongdae and Minseok get an evening alone together. They’re curled up on Jongdae’s sofa, Minseok’s head in Jongdae’s lap with a drama playing in the background. 

“So,” Jongdae suddenly starts, rousing Minseok from his relaxed state. “I spoke with management about the possibility of us being a thing outside instead of just behind closed doors.” 

Minseok’s eyes flash open in surprise. He’d been expecting this to remain a secret for the foreseeable future. 

“And? What did they say?” Sitting up, Minseok turns his full attention to Jongdae. 

“They said they would be willing to let it happen provided they did some research into whether it would be a popular pairing or not and having seen the youtube comments under our rumba performance, I think we’re pretty popular if I do say so myself.” There’s a long pause after Jongdae finishes explaining where Minseok is clearly digesting the information before Jongdae suddenly finds himself tackled deeper into the sofa, being peppered with kisses all over his face. The room is suddenly warm with potential.

When Minseok finally relents in his attack, the drama's final credits scroll across the screen with Jongdae’s latest OST playing across them. Minseok clearly realises something as he suddenly freezes. He laughs into Jongdae’s chest briefly before drawing back just enough. 

“You know this is a rumba, right?” He asks Jongdae, who responds with a look that’s a mixture of confusion and surprise. Laughing, Minseok rolls to his feet and drops into a bow. 

“What are you doing?” Jongdae’s bemusement is evident in his tone. 

“Kim Jongdae.” Minseok rises from his bow and offers Jongdae his hand. “May I have this dance?”

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you to the Mods for organising a wonderful Fest and being so reachable and helpful from start to finish.  
> It was so much fun to push myself and write a pairing that I haven't focused on before so, I hope I've done them justice.  
> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> P.S The OST they're listening to right at the end there is Chen's Make it Count for the drama Touch Your Heart.  
> I have my headcanon for what songs they're dancing to for each dance but I thought it best to let you guys have fun and choose your own songs :3


End file.
